Stunning photos capture fighter jet as it creates a vapour cone around itself

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Stunning photos capture fighter jet as it creates a vapour cone around itself

Posted by sciencetech-blog on Monday, January 5, 2015 Label:

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The moments when a jet fighter created a vapour cone as it approached the sound barrier have been captured in stunning detail in a set of photos - but it is not the moment the jet broke the sound barrier, as such images are commonly mislabelled.

When a plane travels at high speeds the change in pressure can cause water to condense around the vehicle, making an odd conical shape often associated with breaking the sound barrier.

However the effect occurs before the plane exceeds the speed of sound. That moment, though, is accompanied by a 'sonic boom', which will be heard by observers as the plane passes them.

The sight of sound: The moment a jet fighter approached the sound barrier has been captured in stunning detail by this set of photos. Keen aviation photographer Darek Siusta's series of shots were all taken within a second as the plane flew past

Keen aviation photographer Darek Siusta's series of shots were all shot within a second as the Super Hornet fighter created the shock waves at around 760mph (1,225km/h).

WHAT IS A VAPOUR CONE?

A vapour cone occurs when a plane travelling at very high speeds passes through a humid pocket of air.

The increase in air pressure caused by the plane's pressure envelope makes the water instantly condense, creating the odd effect.

They are often incorrectly said to be the moment a plane passes the sound barrier.

However, they are not related to breaking the sound barrier or sonic booms – they are simply only associated with planes travelling at high speeds, often ones that can fly faster than the speed of sound, hence the association.

It took Mr Siusta, 36, seven hours to drive from his home in New York to the Naval Air Station (NAS) Oceana Air Show, in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where the photos were taken.

To capture the shock waves caused by the boom he shot each frame using an extraordinarily fast 1/4,000 shutter speed.

The US Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet, which has a top speed of 1,190mph (1,1915km/h), was flown by the Strike Fighter Squadron 106, also known as the 'Gladiators'.

Mr Siusta, who is originally from Poland, said: 'These pictures were taken in less than a second.'

The boom occurs when an aircraft travels through the air faster than the speed of sound.

As the plane passes through the air it creates a series of pressure waves in front of it and behind it, similar to the bow and stern waves created by a boat.

These waves travel at the speed of sound, and as the speed of the plane increases, the waves are forced together because they cannot get out of the way of each other.

Eventually they merge into a shock wave, which travels at the speed of sound - approximately 760mph (1,225 km/h).

And a vapour cone also forms behind the aircraft as atmospheric water is condensed.

The Super Hornet fighter created the vapour cone as it approached the sound barrier at around 760mph (1,225km/h). It is not to be confused with a sonic boom, which is the noise wave created when it breaks the barrier

The boom occurs when an aircraft travels through the air faster than the speed of sound which creates shock waves. As the plane passes through the air it creates a series of pressure waves in front of it and behind it, similar to the bow and stern waves created by a boat

WHAT IS A SONIC BOOM?

A sonic boom is the sound caused by an object travelling through the air faster than the speed of sound.

When it exceeds the speed of sound, sound waves can no longer propagate away before the plane overtakes them.

This creates a sonic boom of sound and a shockwave.

One common myth is that the sonic boom is heard only when the plane first breaks the barrier, which is not true. Instead, it continues as long as it is ahead of the sound barrier.

Mr Siusta, a project manager for a security company, added: 'I have photographed sonic booms before with other jets including the F-16 and F-22 Raptor.

'The east coast of the US gives you a good chance to take these type of pictures.'

He continued: 'I've attended this air show since I got my first DSLR camera in 2009.

'Driving from New York took around seven hours but I was one of the first guests to be able get into the right spot for photos.

'I take these kind of pictures with aperture priority f4, iso 400, and the exposure depends on the weather conditions.

'When I take other fighter pictures then I keep the ISO low - at around 100 - to have the best quality image.'

Mr Siusta used a Nikkor 500mm f4 VRII mounted on the Nikon D4 - his primary lens - to capture the sonic boom.

He said: 'It gives me optimal focus speed, quality, and shutter speed.'

The US Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet, shown, which has a top speed of 1,190mph (1,1915km/h), was being flown at the NAS Oceana Air Show in Virginia Beach, Virginia by the Strike Fighter Squadron 106, also known as the 'Gladiators'

The pictures follow a stunning video yesterday that showed a US Navy fighter jet approaching the speed of sound while flying by an aircraft carrier.

The incredible video, posted on YouTube by Military, showed an F/A-18C while a group of sailors on the US Navy carrier watched in awe.

Here the vapour cone effect can be seen in even greater detail - and the sonic boom created as it passes the sound barrier can also be heard.

Watch military jet create SONIC BOOM